


If You Belong To Me

by limerancies



Category: IT (Movies - Muschietti)
Genre: Abusive Relationships, Angst with a Happy Ending, Bondage, Bully, Dirty Talk, Dom/sub Undertones, Dominant Richie Tozier, Enemies to Lovers, Face Slapping, Falling In Love, Jealousy, Love/Hate, M/M, Possessive Behavior, Public Claiming, Rough Sex, Verbal Humiliation, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-23
Updated: 2020-03-12
Packaged: 2021-02-28 02:06:55
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,841
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22855954
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/limerancies/pseuds/limerancies
Summary: Eddie Kasprak's life at Roman Academy is pretty steady. He wakes up at six o'clock five days a week, goes to his classes on time, spends a few hours on campus doing whatever with his friends, comes back to his dorm to do homework, and then goes to sleep. The 19 year old doesn't live the most riveting life, but he's happy--at peace.That quickly changes when the infamous Richie Tozier comes back from his one year suspension.(this story will include rape/non-con and may be VERY triggering so please don't click if you won't be able to handle it--for everyone else, don't worry there is a lot of angst but it will have a happy ending!)
Relationships: Eddie Kaspbrak & Richie Tozier, Eddie Kaspbrak/Richie Tozier
Comments: 56
Kudos: 174





	1. Richie Tozier's Coming Back?

Eddie yawned as he brushed his teeth, his eyes watering as he rubbed them with his free hand.

He'd been at Roman for a year now, and he still wasn't used to getting up at six. Even from high school, he'd never understood how anyone with a properly functioning brain could just simply wake up and stay fully awake until it was time to go to bed. 

Suddenly, there was a loud thump, making Eddie flinch.

"Oops!"

Eddie rolled his eyes as he heard footsteps approaching him. Ben walked in, smiling at Eddie in the mirror and slapping him on the back. "Ready for today?" he asked cheerily, like he didn't just bump into whatever it was he so obviously bumped into. 

Eddie stared at him with a deadpan expression. _Ben Hanscom_ was one of those people Eddie had never understood, and would never, for that matter. 

Eddie spit out the toothpaste and washed his mouth, and Ben nodded. "Oh, right--sorry, I keep forgetting," he said, smiling. "You're not a morning person."

Eddie washed his face as he stayed quiet, too tired and annoyed to respond. He'd known Ben since last year, but they weren't close at all, and became dorm-mates only this year, so they were both still getting to know each other. Besides, it was only the fourth day of school anyway. 

Eddie continued to get ready, and when he was done, he walked out their dorm with Ben, who waited for him patiently, listening to one of his many saved podcasts--as usual. They walked for about five minutes until they got to the dining hall. 

Eddie followed Ben to wherever he wanted to sit, and they both sat down a minute later. Eddie yawned again as he immediately put down his backpack and dropped his head on his arm, which rested on the table. He heard a chuckle as he shut his eyes.

"Good morning to you too, Edward." 

Eddie didn't have to look up to know it was Bill. He hummed in response, trying to get a few minutes of sleep. He frowned to himself as the chatter around him--not just Ben and Bill--became louder and louder. _What the hell is going on? It's never been this loud this early in the morning!_

"...Richie Tozier's coming back? Are you sure?"

Eddie's eyes opened, but he kept his head on the table, staying quiet. Now, the chatter was becoming one big conversation, from students in different tables all talking to each other. 

"Yeah, I'm sure," Eddie heard a boy say. "Besides, were you really expecting him stay suspended for more than a year? You know his dad is the reason this place is still running." 

Eddie heard a girl scoff. "Seriously?" she said. "Forget about the school--he should be in jail! He's a _murderer!"_

The hall roared with chatter once again, voicing overlapping and people shouting. Eddie lifted his head, looking around, and then at Bill, who to his surprise, was talking to some other boys next to him. 

"--know that!" Bill was saying, frowning as he spoke. "I know he did it!"

Eddie was speechless as he watched everyone argue. He heard another boy behind him talking. 

"Richie didn't do anything!" he was shouting to the girl that spoke. "The kid was suicidal!" Everyone argued until the first boy who spoke finally banged on the table, getting everyone to slowly quiet down. 

"None of us really know what happened, but one thing's for sure--he's coming back here. I overheard the Dean saying it would sometime later today." 

The hall was quiet again. Eddie looked around, confused. People looked...uncomfortable. Afraid.

"Wait--today?" a girl said, almost in disbelief. The boy at the table nodded. Eddie looked back at Bill, who was frowning, like he was actually mad. Eddie glanced at Ben, who had actually taken out his headphones and paused his podcast, and he too was looking down, quiet. 

Suddenly, the warning bell rang, and students slowly grabbed their bags, and started to walk out the hall. Everyone was quiet now, and only a few murmurs and shuffling could be heard. Eddie got up with Bill, and grabbed his arm as he led them out of the hall quickly. 

"Who the hell is Richie Tozier?" Eddie asked Bill, curious. 

Bill adjusted the strap on his shoulder, sighing. "He was a freshman last year--like us. But he got suspended sometime in March."

"For killing someone?" Eddie asked, remembering the girl's words from before. "Is he really a murderer?"

Bill frowned, pausing. He suddenly turned to Eddie. "Look, last year you spent most of the time in the hospital, so you never really saw him. But if what Gavin said is true, and that he _is_ coming back--don't ask around about him, because word will spread and he will come to you."

Eddie shook his head. "I'm not 'asking around', I'm asking _you_ ," he said. "Just tell me--did he kill someone or not?"

Bill stared at Eddie, and then sighed. "If you're asking _me_ , then yeah. He did."

Eddie blinked, his breath caught in his throat. He closed his mouth.

Bill started to walk slowly, waiting for Eddie to follow him. 

"There was uh, a guy our age. His name was Axel Drury, and he was the only one who defended himself against Richie and his group."

"Defended?" Eddie repeated.

"Richie was a bully. Him and his friends. They bullied anyone they didn't like, but no one was really a direct target, you know? Until Axel. He came with a friend from Norway, and his friend said that he was the kind of person that didn't take shit from anyone. So when Richie messed with him, he fought back." 

Bill gulped. "It didn't go so good for Axel. He ended up going to the infirmary for a broken arm and cracked ribs--and his face was so busted we could hardly tell it was him."

Eddie stared at Bill, speechless. 

Bill shook his head. "But once he healed and was back in school, he still didn't back down. I remember just going through the halls and seeing him with either a black eye or a limp and a cast. He carried on that way for about two weeks, but suddenly, he was fine. He wasn't walking in the halls with any kind of injury, he was just. Fine. Richie and his group had stopped beating him. I remember being relieved--it was about time those assholes stopped hurting him."

Bill paused, making Eddie glance at him. "But one day, a few people saw Richie walking Axel to his dorm, and the next morning, Axel was silent. He didn't talk to anyone--not even his friend. He didn't look up or even eat, or do anything besides go to his classes. His face was pale and blank, like he had seen a ghost or something. No one knows what happened with him and Richie, but it changed him. From then on, he just wasn't the same. He isolated himself, and rushed back to his dorm once classes were over. No one could ask him anything, or even talk to him.

Then, at the end of February, someone found his body, face down on the ground in front of the entrance of the school. The police said that he must have jumped from the roof, twenty stories all the way down. They ruled it a suicide, but it wasn't."

Eddie looked at Bill. 

"No one can prove that Richie wasn't right there with him on that roof, can they? No one can say that Richie didn't push him off." Bill's voice was dark, full of bitterness. 

"You really think that?" Eddie asked, taken aback. He had never seen this side of his friend before. 

"It's not just me, Eddie. You heard what they were saying in the dining hall--he's a murderer. I know that no one really knows what happened, and yeah, there are some _idiots_ who actually think that Axel was always suicidal, but I know it was Richie."

"So then?" Eddie asked. "What happened next?

Bill nodded. "Richie and his friends got suspended a week later--apparently Axel kept a journal, and his parents found it after his death. He had written about Richie and the others, so they took it here, and showed the Dean. I'm not really sure about the details, but I heard there was a lawsuit--or there was _going_ to be a lawsuit. But something happened and it was called off, but Richie was suspended that day, along with some of his friends. At the time, the Dean made it sound like he wasn't coming back, and that they were only calling it a 'suspension' to avoid a bad record--no one had ever been expelled before. That's why everyone was mad this morning. He's coming back after just six months, like he isn't the school's biggest bully who killed someone."

Eddie looked down at the floor, feeling queasy. "Because of his dad, right?" Eddie said, remembering the boy's words from before. "He funds this place, or something?"

Bill nodded. They were silent for a moment. 

"Hey, Eddie?"

Eddie looked up at him.

"I know I just threw some pretty shocking information at you, but don't be scared. As long as you lay low and avoid him, you're going to be fine. Just, don't try and be brave like Axel, because...well."

Eddie nodded. "I know. It just sucks that this is happening."

Bill sighed and put an arm around Eddie's shoulder. "Alright--no more talking about this or Richie and his goons. Onto more happier things!"

Eddie smiled as Bill talked about his plan for the weekend, looking at the floor as they walked to their first class.

_Richie Tozier. I'm not afraid of you at all._


	2. I Want To Hear It Again!

Every. Single. Class.

There was talk about Richie in every single class that Eddie was in. He rolled his eyes as people gossiped in front of him, behind him, and next to him. Of course--they only did so when the professors were outside the room. 

"Do you think he changed?" Autumn Looney asked her friends in Statistics. "Maybe he's learned his lesson."

"About time my man came back," Jason Henderick in Eddie's French class said, a smug smile on his face. "Fucking place is just too boring without him." The few guys next to him laughed and agreed, while some of the girls stared at them in quiet disbelief. 

"I heard Henry Bowers is coming back with Richie too," a group of boys formed next to Eddie in Chemistry. Someone sitting on the left nodded. "Hockstetter, too."

"I wonder if he's still hot," a girl murmured quietly in World History. Eddie stopped taking notes, and turned to glanced at the girl, who giggled when her friends gasped. 

"Ashley!" her friend scolded, while the others stared at her with wide eyes. "He might have killed someone!" 

The girl--Ashley--just shrugged. "I might not have a moral conscious, but I do have _eyes_. Killer or not, I'd let Richie Tozier do anything he wanted to me."

Eddie turned back to his papers as Ashley's friends gasped and giggled. After a moment, the door opened, and Professor Amerson had returned, carrying the papers she had gone off to print. The girls behind Eddie immediately stopped laughing, and the other kids who were talking became silent as well. The students in the classroom shuffled to sit upright and straight, and the only sound that could be heard was the clicking of Professor Amerson's heels as she walked to her desk. 

She had left the door open, and Eddie glanced at the hallway outside. He looked through one of the windows on the wall. Eddie stopped writing when he noticed the Dean, standing a few feet away from the window, and in front of a black car. 

The Dean opened the passenger door, and a boy with blonde hair came out. He had a deep frown on his face, almost like he was furious with the world. After him, another boy came out. This one was a bit taller, and had long, black, wavy hair. Eddie shifted in his seat as he tried to look closer. He could see that the taller boy was laughing, and looking behind him. There was one last boy in the car, who was waiting for him to get out. Eddie leaned further to try to see the last one, who was now starting to come out. Eddie lifted his head as he caught a glimpse of wild, curly hair--

"Mr. Kaspbrak."

Eddie's head snapped to the front of the room, caught off guard. Professor Amerson maintained eye contact with him as she pointed at the papers on his desk, a strict look on her face. Eddie blinked, and then looked back down at his work, starting to write again. He felt her eyes on him for a couple of more moments before finally, she wasn't looking at him anymore. After Eddie was sure the coast was clear, he quickly glanced out the window again. 

But the Dean and the three boys were no longer there anymore, and the black car was driving away. Eddie looked back down at his paper, twirling the pencil in his fingers. 

\--

Once the bell finally rang, Eddie quickly packed up his things and rushed out the door. He made his way to the dining hall, hearing his stomach rumble. He hadn't had his usual muffin today for breakfast because of all the chaos, so he was starving. 

He looked for Bill once he got there, carrying his lunch tray. Eddie spotted him sitting outside in the Court. It was September, so the weather was nice enough to sit outside in. The few days that Eddie was actually at school last year, he and Bill always sat in the Court, even though it was mostly for the upperclassmen.

Eddie sat down next to Bill, who was in the middle of talking to someone. Eddie placed down his tray silently, and the boy looked at Eddie, interrupted from whatever he was talking about. Bill turned to Eddie.

"Oh," Bill glanced at the boy. "Josh, this is Eddie, Eddie--Josh." Bill motioned to Josh, who smiled at Eddie. "Hey, how's it going, dude?"

Eddie nodded without saying anything and looked down at his food before picking up his fork. 

There was an awkward pause that followed, before Bill looked at Josh again. "Sorry--he's just hungry." Eddie took a huge bite into his chicken sandwich, ignoring the pointed look that Bill gave him before finally turning back to Josh.

"Anyway, go on." 

Josh nodded. "I'm just saying," he continued. "It can't be like how it was last year."

Bill straightened his shoulders, sighing as he rested his elbows on the table. "I know. I mean, I doubt he's changed at all," he said, cracking his knuckles. "If things are going to be different, _we_ need to be different."

Now the whole table was listening in the conversation. A boy from the other end of the table said, "What, and stand up to that asshole? 'Cause that went _so_ well for Axel." 

The table became quiet, and a few of the girls' jaws dropped. Josh glanced at Bill, who shut his eyes momentarily. He shook his head. 

"I'm not saying we need to stand up to him," Bill said, his voice low. "But maybe we should just stop being so afraid of him. That's exactly what he wants!"

Eddie looked at Bill, his mouth full of food as he chewed. People in the table nodded, and started to murmur in agreement. 

"Bill's right," Josh said, speaking a little louder. "He _wants_ us to be afraid of him! And yeah, he might have...killed someone--but he's still just a student! He definitely won't do it again, I mean, what idiot would after the police are now involved? He's just some coward who only beats on us because we _let_ him!"

Eddie finished his sandwich, staring at Josh as he ranted. People at the other tables had now gathered around him, and were all listening and nodding. 

"So you know what?" Josh continued, starting to stand. "I think it's time to fight back! What's he going to do--hurt _all_ of us?" Josh paused, taking a breath before continuing. "Axel was the nicest person I knew. Hands down. He was smart, and he worked hard, and he didn't deserve..." Josh trailed off, looking down.

The crowd around the table was quiet as Josh paused. Eddie looked around, seeing some of the girls dab at their eyes with a tissue. Josh raised his head, taking a deep breath.

"So we need to do this for Axel," Josh said. "We can't act like an 18 year old kid didn't just die. We need to take action--it's not like anyone else will!"

The crowd started to talk, voices coming together in agreement. "He's right!" someone said. "We need to fight back!"

Josh nodded. "We _are_ going to fight back!" 

Someone in the crowd started clapping in a slow rhythm. Eddie looked up to see who it was, and so did everyone else. Suddenly, the girls in the crowd gasped in surprise, and grabbed their bags before running into the school. The gaps that they left allowed everyone to finally see who was clapping. Eddie tilted his head to see where the noise was coming from.

A boy was sitting on a seat a table away from the one everyone was around, and two other boys were standing next to him. The boy's head was down, so Eddie couldn't see his face, but he had stopped clapping. All he could see was dark, curly hair. Eddie blinked as he realized it was the same hair that belonged to the last boy that was getting out of the car. He glanced up at the two other guys next to him. Sure enough--one was the same blond boy with the frown, and the other was the same long haired boy, who was now smiling as he stared at Josh with a malicious look.

Suddenly, the curly-haired boy stood up. 

Eddie gulped. He was tall. Like. _Very_ tall. He had a hint of a smirk, but his eyes were cold and...scary. Eddie stared at the boy, who suddenly grinned at Josh. 

"Great speech," he said. His voice was deep and sardonic. 

The boys standing around the table, and even some of the ones sitting down, scrambled to their feet and ran away, forgetting their bags. Josh's eyes were wide, and his hands were shaking. Eddie turned to Bill, who was looking down now, his mouth shut tight. 

"Ri-Richie," Josh stuttered, faltering. The boy cocked his head. 

"What's wrong?" he said. "Got more to say about me than _to_ me?"

Josh stayed silent, his face beet red and jaw dropped. Richie sighed, rolling his eyes. "Oh come on! What happened? Your words were so inspiring, so brave! In fact--I want to hear it again!" Richie's grin was wider now. Eddie slowly around him. Almost everyone had left--now it was just him, Bill, Josh, and two other boys who were sitting beside Bill. They were upperclassmen though, and kept their gaze down at their food as they kept quiet. 

When Josh didn't say anything, Richie glanced at the empty seats at the table. "You know what? I'll make it easier for you." With that, Richie jumped over the wooden table and walked across it easily, jumping back down and sitting in the empty seat right next to Eddie.

"There," Richie said. "Now you can pretend that I'm one of your many fellow supporters, since, you know," Richie scoffed, glancing behind him. "The real ones ran away like a bunch of little girls." 

Eddie looked up at Josh, who still wasn't saying anything. Richie paused, and Eddie saw the blonde boy nod at Richie. Suddenly, the two boys grabbed Josh's arms, quickly pinning them behind his back. Josh started to yell in pain as he tried pulling away. But all of a sudden, he stopped moving completely, and whimpered. Eddie frowned, his eyes widening when he saw the pocket knife pointed to the side of Josh's belly. Josh must have felt the sharp edge because his face became pale, and he didn't move a single muscle, his eyes watering. One of the upperclassmen sitting at the table quietly got up and walked away. 

"Now," Richie leaned forward, his elbows resting on the table as he clasped his fingers. His voice was now darker. "Tell me again what you were saying about me."

Josh sniffed as tears rolled down his cheeks. The long haired boy behind him laughed, the loud and ugly sound making Josh cry harder. Eddie frowned as he turned to look at Richie, who was smirking at Josh's face. 

His fist clenched, and he raised his arm.


	3. Talking To You.

Eddie's eyes widened when he felt Bill grab his wrist, stopping the movement. He turned to him, surprised. Bill's eyes were narrow, and his grip on Eddie's arm tightened. He subtly shook his head, glancing at Richie, who sighed.

"How disappointing." Richie said after Josh stayed silent, shaking with fear. "Well, that's okay. I don't really want to talk either. _"_

Richie smirked, starting to get up from the table. Josh's cries became louder, and Bill used the distraction to whisper to Eddie, his hand still wrapped around Eddie's small wrist. 

" _Don't_."

Eddie scowled at him. "We have to help him!" he whispered back. He glanced at Richie, who was now standing in front of Josh. In one quick movement, Richie pulled back his arm and punched him. Eddie and Bill both flinched, the loud noise startling them both. 

Josh howled in pain as the two boys beside Richie started snickering. He was now on the grass, face down. Richie kicked his side harshly, making Josh whimper as he tried to crawl away. 

Eddie started to get up, but Bill pulled him back down, making him sit. 

"What the _fuck_ are you doing?" Eddie said, a little louder this time. Bill ignored him, keeping his eyes lowered.

Richie suddenly stepped on Josh's upper arm, keeping it down. He crouched down and grabbed Josh's wrist, and bent it in the opposite direction. The sound of bones cracking made Eddie gasp, and Josh shrieked.

Bill suddenly stood up, and grabbed Eddie by the arm. He dragged him away from the table, and into the building. Eddie stumbled behind him, speechless as he turned around. The last thing he saw was Richie was squatting on the ground, his head tilted as he held Josh's head up by the hair before he was inside the dining hall. Bill didn't stop there though. Bill led him all the way to one of the storage rooms on the first floor. Once they were inside, Bill pushed Eddie against the wall.

"I _told_ you to lay low!" Bill yelled at him. 

Eddie scoffed. "I didn't realize 'laying low' meant letting Richie break someone's arm!"

"Of course it means that!" Bill sighed. "After everything I told you this morning, how could still try to fight him? You know what happened to Axel, and now Josh--at this school, being brave isn't a good thing! It's stupid!"

"Oh so what you said right before Richie came--that was just talk?" Eddie argued, remembering what he said earlier at lunch.

Bill paused, and then shook his head, pushing his hair back. "Alright, let's just stop talking about this." He started to open the door. Eddie frowned.

"Why? You obviously got scared--"

Bill suddenly winced, and pulled his hand back quickly from the door handle, like he'd touched a hot pan. 

Eddie gasped, and rushed to him. He grabbed his hand, gently turning it over to his palm. 

"What happened?" he asked, his voice immediately softer. "Are you okay?" There was a red mark on the side of Bill's palm. 

"I'm fine," Bill said. "It's just a splinter."

Eddie wasn't frowning anymore, and only had a look worry on his face. He gently stroked over the red mark, holding Bill's hand. "Does it hurt?" He looked up at Bill, his voice full of concern.

Bill looked down at his hand and shook his head, quiet. He looked at Eddie, who didn't let go of his hand. Eddie gazed into Bill's eyes, unable to look away. Neither of them moved for a moment, and stared at each other. Eddie's cheeks grew hot as he felt his chest thump. 

Bill suddenly pulled his hand away, and took a step back. "I think the bell's going to ring soon," he said, avoiding Eddie's eyes. "I'll see you after class."

With that, Bill turned around and exited the dim room, leaving Eddie alone. 

Eddie's heart was pounding, and he shut his eyes momentarily, trying to calm down. _Stupid. How could you be so stupid?_ He frowned, hearing students in the hall starting to go to class. With a deep breath, he opened the door and walked out of the storage room, ignoring the few weird stares he got as he did so.

He went to his last class in a sort of daze, cursing himself as every minute went by. His chest ached as he remembered Bill's face. He'd only seen that face once before--something like _that_ had only happened once before.

It was last year, when Eddie was just starting to get to know Bill in the first two weeks of school before he got sick. They were both walking side by side one day, and Eddie's hand accidentally brushed against Bill's. Eddie's face grew red and he looked down at their hands. Before Eddie could apologize and pull back, Bill yanked his hand away, and played it off like he was pushing his hair back. 

His face was just like how it was earlier--somewhere between uneasy and annoyed.

Eddie looked down as he entered his class, feeling a lump in his throat. His vision went slightly blurry as his eyes started to water, so he sat down in his seat quickly, hearing the bell ring. It was a seminar class, so the Professor--Professor Caruso--was still at his desk at the front, working on his own things as students began to work on their homework quietly. Eddie was grateful that he was the only one in the class without a desk-mate, so that he could be alone.

Eddie took out his books, but he turned his head out to the wall, hiding his face. His tears began leaking down his face uncontrollably, and all he could do was cry silently. He slightly turned his chair away from the classroom, and kept his mouth shut so that he wouldn't make a noise.

_Bill has to be disgusted by me. He has to be. The look on his face, and the way he pulled away--he finds me disgusting._

Eddie shut his eyes as he wiped at them with his sleeves, the material rough on his wet skin. _I'm sorry, Bill. I'm sorry that I'm like this. I'm sorry that I love--_

"Yo, are you _crying_?"

Eddie flinched at the voice, and immediately wiped his eyes, and turned to his books, picking up his pencil. "No--fuck off, alright? And why are you sitting next to..." Eddie turned to look at the person who spoke, and faltered. 

It was Richie, sitting right there next to him. His eyebrows were raised, and had a slightly amused look in his eyes. Eddie sniffled and scoffed, turning back to his books as he wiped his eyes.

"God--why are you always sitting next to me?" he muttered, remembering earlier in the Court. 

Richie leaned a bit closer to him. "Excuse me?" he asked, his voice a shade darker. 

Eddie realized Richie probably didn't even notice him or Bill. Eddie's heart pounded again. _Bill_. He felt pressure behind his eyes again.

"Shit," he cursed quietly, tilting his head up towards the ceiling to keep the tears from falling. He glanced at Professor Caruso, and then at Richie. _He probably came in when I wasn't paying attention, and Professor Caruso told him to sit here--after all, it was the only empty seat in the_ _class._

"Look, can you just not talk to me? Thanks." Eddie said quietly, scooting his chair to the desk more. He couldn't deal with Richie right now. He had a headache, and all he could think about was what would happen once he saw Bill again. _Would he tell me he can't be friends with me anymore?_ Eddie winced at the thought.

Richie scoffed. "Listen, you probably don't know this, but I'm--"

"Richie Tozier, I know. You're probably a killer and you just broke Josh's arm." Eddie sniffled again, thinking of what Bill would say after school. He took a deep, shaky breath, trying to regain some composure as he picked up his pencil. _Maybe. Maybe it's time to tell Bill how I really feel._ Eddie stared at the words on his worksheet. _I can't keep feeling this way. It's getting harder and harder to be around him these days--if Bill knew that, I'm sure he'd want me to tell him how I feel._

"...wasn't really at the academy last year, he kept getting sick so his mother made him stay at the hospital, but he was let out once she died--"

Eddie's eyes widened, and he quickly turned to Richie, shocked. But it wasn't Richie who talking--it was Liam, who sat at the table behind them. He was saying all of this to Richie, who was listening. Eddie frowned, staring at Liam.

"Liam, what the fuck?" 

Liam blinked, giving Eddie genuine, apologetic look. "Sorry, Eddie--he asked."

Eddie turned to Richie, and glared at him. Richie paused for a moment, and just looked at him.

"That true?" asked Richie. "Your mom died?"

Eddie felt his gut twist a little. Images of her funeral flashed through his head--her motionless body in the open casket. The tears on everyone's cheeks as they spoke at the podium. The shabby, wooden clock that hung above the platform. 

"Yeah, so?" Eddie glared at him again. 

There was a glint in Richie's eyes, and he leaned in a little.

"Do you miss her?" Richie asked him, a hint of a smirk on his lips. 

Eddie blinked. "Of course."

Richie stared at him for a moment, and then smiled. He leaned forward, scooting his chair closer to Eddie's. 

"Hey, how about we start over?" Richie stuck his hand out to him. "Richie Tozier. Pleased to meet you." He made a show of bowing his head a little, and grinned. 

Eddie glanced down at his hand, utterly confused. He looked up at Richie, who raised his eyebrows. _How is this the same person who just broke someone's arm twenty minutes ago?_

Eddie ignored his hand, and looked at Richie with suspicion. "Why are you pretending to be nice?"

Richie dropped his hand, and sighed dramatically. "You defend yourself once, and everyone suddenly thinks you're incapable of being nice."

Eddie's eyes narrowed. "What do you mean 'defend yourself'? Was breaking Josh's arm actually self-defense to you?"

Richie shrugged. "I mean, he did start everything," he said, making a mock sad face. "Didn't you hear all the mean things he said about me?"

Eddie rolled his eyes, and turned back to his books. Richie opened his mouth again.

"Oh come on, Eds. If someone called _you_ a coward, you wouldn't just ignore it, right?"

Eddie stared down at his paper, remembering Josh's whole speech at the Court. Josh _did_ call him a coward.

"No, but I sure as fuck wouldn't mess with their _bones_. You could have just told him to not do it again."

"And where's the fun in that?" 

Eddie grew angry seeing Richie's dumb smirk.

"So killing Axel was fun for you, then?"

Richie's eyes flashed, and he turned his head, pausing for a moment. Eddie kept his ground, his eyebrows furrowed as he dared Richie to say something. They both stared at each other for a whole minute, until Richie smiled.

"You want to know what's fun for me?" Richie said quietly. "Talking to you."

Eddie scoffed, shaking his head. "Nice dodge." He glanced at Richie one last time before resuming his work. _His eyes are so black. Is it even humanly possible to have eyes that dark?_

"Tomorrow," Richie said. "Let's eat breakfast together."

Before Eddie could even make a disgusted face, let alone respond, Richie stood up and walked to Professor Caruso, handing him a paper slip. He nodded, and Eddie watched Richie walk out the door. 

Eddie shook his head to himself and looked back at his papers. He started writing, but the same question kept popping up in his head-- _what was Richie playing at?_

\--

Eddie stood nervously at the back exit of the school. This was usually where he and Bill met up after classes. When Richie had shown up, he had almost forgot about everything that happened between him and Bill. But now, it was like all of the anxiety and worry had come rushing back. Earlier, he'd planned to tell Bill how he really felt. But now that he was actually about to see him, Eddie changed his mind. If there was one thing that Eddie never wanted to see, it was that face that Bill made back in the storage room. He _can't_ tell Bill. At least, not yet. For now, he just had to play it off and continue being friends with him. Even if it was becoming more and more painful.

"Hey."

Eddie flinched, and turned around to the familiar voice. Bill adjusted his bag's strap on his shoulder. "Ready to go?"

Eddie nodded quickly, opening his mouth. "Yeah uh--yeah." He awkwardly followed Bill to their dorm building, mustering up the courage to say his next words to Bill.

"So um, back in the storage room," Eddie started, his voice quieter. "Sorry for being weird, I just, um. Well I know how painful splinters can be."

Eddie cringed as he blurted out the last part. _What the fuck what the fuck I sound so weird!_

Bill chuckled after an awkward pause. "Yeah, they're not so fun."

Eddie looked up at him, grateful. "Yes! Exactly--so I was just worried. That's all." Eddie looked down at his feet as he walked.

"It's fine, Eddie. Really," Bill said, giving him a small smile. Eddie felt a weight off his shoulders, and he smiled to himself, nodding as he kept his gaze down. They were both silent for a few minutes, until Bill spoke again.

"Hey," Bill said. "You know Felicity, right?"

Eddie looked up at him. "Yeah, she's in Seminar with me. Why?"

"We talked on the first day back, and she's actually really cool. I want to ask her out."

Eddie's heart thumped as his footsteps came to a slow stop. Bill noticed after a moment and looked back at him. "What's wrong?"

Eddie blinked, shaking his head as he walked back up to Bill. "Uh, nothing. Sorry."

"I mean, she's so cute, and we had a really fun time talking that morning," Bill continued. "I think we'd be good together. Don't you think?"

Eddie felt the world around him go silent. And still. "Yeah. Of course." Eddie kept his eyes on the ground as he walked.

"But I don't have any classes with her. So, I was thinking," said Bill. "Maybe you could help a brother out and you know, talk me up in front of her? Find out what she thinks of me?" Bill nudged Eddie's arm playfully.

The movement made Eddie tune back in with reality, and all the sounds surrounding him came back into focus. He ignored the ache in his chest, and looked up at Bill. "Sure, Bill. I'd be happy to."

Bill smiled. "Thanks. I know it must be a bother, but it would really make me happy."

"No, uh," Eddie shut his eyes momentarily. "It's my pleasure. Anything to not have to talk to Richie."

Bill stopped walking, and turned to him. "Whoa--what? Richie's in your class?"

Eddie's eyes widened, as he suddenly realized he didn't even tell Bill what happened. When he did start talking, he obviously left out the whole crying part. Bill listened intently, even though there wasn't really much to tell.

Once Eddie finished, Bill was quiet. He spent about three minutes just thinking, and Eddie just had to wait out the silence.

"Yeah," Bill finally said. "I don't know what he's playing at either. But--this could be a chance."

Eddie turned to him, confused. "Chance for what?"

Bill sighed, and leaned in closer, talking quieter. "Remember how I told you Axel's parents founds the journal Axel kept about Richie?"

Eddie nodded. 

"Basically, they took it to court, and there was going to be a lawsuit, but I heard that the lawyers shut it down because Axel never wrote anything that showed that Richie was actually a real threat. Axel never really wrote that he was 'afraid for his life' or any other notion that maybe Richie would kill him. And since he also never wrote about any 'depression' or 'suicidal tendencies', they couldn't prove that Richie drove him to commit suicide."

Eddie stared. "Jesus."

Bill continued. "The lawyers said that the only way Richie would be convicted and taken to trial was if they got a confession from him."

"Well," Eddie sighed. "That's never going to happen. I accused him of killing Axel, and he just ignored me."

Bill shook his head. "Yeah--obviously he's not going to confess to someone he barely knows. But. If you get closer to him, he'll let his guard down, since he'll think you're on his side. Then, if you ask him about Axel--"

"He might admit to it," Eddie finished for him, frowning to himself. His stomach was in a knot.

"Bill, I don't know," he started. "I really don't want to have to talk to him, let alone be his friend."

"It'll just be for a little while!" said Bill. "Once we have his confession, you won't even have to look at him anymore--he'll be out of the school, and this time, he definitely won't come back!"

Eddie had a dubious look on his face, the uncertainty obvious to Bill. 

"Look, do you want someone _else_ to die?" asked Bill. 

"What? No, obviously not."

"Then this is our chance! To finally get justice for Axel and prevent other people from getting hurt!"

Eddie took a deep breath, and looked at some of the trees to his left awkwardly as he tried to find a way to let Bill down gently.

Suddenly, Bill took a step closer to him, and was just a few inches away from his face. Eddie looked up, startled. "Um, what--"

Bill tucked one of his curls behind his ear slowly, his thumb grazing the pale skin on Eddie's cheek. "You're so brave," Bill said with a small small. "I love that about you. I love how you stand up for others, and care for them. You're amazing, you know that?"

Eddie's eyes were wide, his lips slightly parted. He felt warm and content as he gazed up into Bill's eyes. He felt his cheeks grow hot as Bill's soft voice surrounded him. 

"If you do this, you will be helping so many people, but also--you'll make me really happy," Bill smiled, dropping his hand down to the back of Eddie's neck. "So you'll do it, right?"

Eddie felt like he was on a cloud. His chest thumped, and his heart was beating relentlessly in his ears. He nodded, almost in a daze. 

"Yeah," he smiled. "Okay. I will."

Bill nodded, removing his hand from Eddie's nape. He smiled at him, putting an arm around his shoulder. "Good." 


	4. What's My Favorite Food?

The next morning, Eddie followed Ben to the dining hall--as usual. Of course, Ben was listening to one of his saved podcasts on the tiny MP3 player in his hand, and Eddie yawned, struggling to keep his eyes open.

Once he and Ben sat down at the same table as yesterday, Eddie leaned his head on his arm, his elbow resting on the table as his stomach grumbled. He tried not to put his head down--it was harder to get up if he did that.

"Hey," Bill's voice stood out among the chatter in the dining hall. Eddie opened his eyes, giving Bill a small smile. 

"Seriously, Eddie," Bill said, taking a bite out of his egg sandwich. "Actually eat something today. Why are you so against breakfast this year?

Eddie shrugged, rubbing his eyes. "I just don't feel like it. I'm too tired."

Ben took out one of his earphones. "He's not a morning person, remember?" he said to Bill in a hushed whisper. Bill scoffed.

"Yeah, Ben. I know. I found out the hard way last year at the hospital."

Ben raised his eyebrows, and nodded.

Eddie's eyes flickered to Bill, watching him as he spooned his rice pudding. Eddie dropped his gaze down at the table, and sighed as he put his head down, resting on his arms and closing his eyes. 

_Stop stop stop stop stop stop stop. No. Stop thinking it's going to happen. It's not._

Eddie opened his eyes slightly. _But. It's not like he hates me, right? Yesterday, he wasn't mean, or rude. He was nice to me, even though that storage room thing happened--_

"Hey, Eds." 

Eddie's eyes widened a little, and he saw Richie, sitting next to him--on the same seat that Ben sat just a few seconds ago. Richie leaned down a little, grinning at him with those same, dark eyes.

Eddie lifted his head and looked around the hall. His eyes stopped wandering once he found Bill, who was walking to another table a few feet away from them along with Ben. Eddie watched them both sit down, tilting his head to see past a couple of people. Bill didn't look at him, or even in his direction. 

Eddie turned his head. "Did you tell them to leave?"

"No. Why?" 

Eddie stared at him. "Because they all suddenly got up and left."

Richie shrugged. "Maybe they had somewhere to be."

Eddie rolled his eyes, and shook his head. "Whatever. I'm too tired for this." He put his head back down, and closed his eyes, ignoring Richie's scoff once he did so.

It was silent for a moment, until Richie spoke.

"It's Denbrough, right?"

Eddie's eyes flew open, and he stared at Richie, staying completely still. "What?" he asked quietly.

Richie pointed to the seat where Bill sat. "The guy in front of you. The one who said he 'learned the hard way last year at the hospital'?"

Eddie frowned, and he slowly sat up again, starting to feel angry. "Why are you--" _so nosy? Why can't you just leave me alone? What are you even trying to do?_

Eddie wanted to say it--he did. But he suddenly remembered what Bill told him yesterday. ' _Play nice, just for a little while. Once we have his confession, you won't even have to look at him anymore.'_

Eddie cleared his throat, and glanced at the seat. "Yeah. That was Bill Denbrough. Why?"

Richie scooted a little closer to him on the bench, and Eddie eyed the movement, leaning back instinctively in response. 

"What was he talking about?" asked Richie. "What happened last year at the hospital?"

Eddie's eyelashes fluttered as he blinked, momentarily stunned as images of the white linen hospital sheets, and Bill's silhouette through the corridor flashed in his mind. Eddie was quiet for a moment, remembering.

"Breakfast," Eddie said quietly. "Bill came early sometimes and bought me breakfast, usually muffins--he knew I didn't like the hospital food."

Richie's eyes flashed as he stared at Eddie, his expression blank.

"And uh," Eddie continued. "One day, he woke me up and I basically threw a tantrum. That's how he found out I wasn't exactly fond of waking up early."

Eddie closed his mouth and gulped, staring at the table as he remembered those mornings. Wind flowing through the open curtains, the chocolate muffins in his hand, Bill sitting across him on his bed, laughing at Eddie's pout as he chewed on his own breakfast.

He was interrupted by a sudden noise, and he flinched as he looked toward the noise. A boy behind him was looking down at his tray, which was now toppled over on the floor, milk and food splattered around it. Eddie looked up, and frowned when he saw Richie's friends, snickering as they pushed past the boy's shoulder and walked to Richie.

Eddie glared at them as they sat down across the table. 

"Hey," Richie snapped at the blond one in front of him, who immediately looked up. "Get me a tray, will you?"

The boy nodded and got up, walking to the front of the hall. The other one finally looked at Eddie, looking confused. 

"Yo, Rich--who the fuck is this?" he asked, ignoring Eddie's scowl as he looked at Richie.

"Eddie. He's cool," Richie said, and then turned to Eddie. "This one's Patrick--" Richie motioned to the boy in front of him. "And the other ones Henry."

Eddie found Henry across the hall, walking back to Richie and handing him the tray. Eddie was about to get up to leave when Richie suddenly placed the tray in front of him. Eddie looked down at the food, and then back up at Richie.

"Why are you giving me your food?" 

Richie opened the plastic wrap on the fork and put it in his hand. "Who said it was mine?"

Eddie stared at him, feeling a knot form in his stomach. Sure, he was hungry, but he didn't want to eat! He was tired and grumpy and annoyed, and Richie sure as fuck wasn't helping. He wanted to shove the tray away and leave so bad, _so_ bad--but if Richie got mad, then Bill's plan would never work, and Bill would be disappointed. And Eddie...couldn't bear the thought of that.

Eddie gritted his teeth as his fingers adjusted around the fork. "Thanks."

He looked down at the plate of sausage and eggs, and then at the bowl of cantaloups, and then at the white rice pudding in the small container. He put down the fork and opened the spoon, taking a spoonful of the desert.

"What classes do you have today?" Richie asked after a moment.

Eddie glanced at him, hesitant. "...History, English, and Economics. Why?"

Richie nodded. "I'll wait for you after each class, so don't leave the room."

Eddie sighed, annoyed. "You really don't have to do that, I--"

"Oh, it's okay. I don't mind." Richie smirked at him, daring him to say more.

Eddie pursed his lips, remembering Bill's words when he thought about just punching Richie here and now. Anything to wipe that smug smirk off his stupid face. 

"Fine. Whatever," Eddie shoved another spoonful in his mouth. Richie paused for a moment, and Eddie didn't bother to look at him, already annoyed at his sight. 

Finally-- _finally--_ Richie started to get up, and Patrick and Henry mirrored his movements. Eddie kept his eyes down on his food, worried that Richie might sit down again. He stayed silent as he spooned the pudding again. 

But Eddie froze when he felt Richie ruffle the top of his hair. Some of his wavy hair dropped down to his eyes, making him blink in surprise, and shake his head, trying to get the strands of hair out of his face. He frowned and looked up at Richie, who pulled his hand back, still smirking.

"See ya." 

Richie turned around before Eddie could even open his mouth, and his friends followed him. Eddie watched as Richie walked past a kid, who nervously avoided eye contact with him as he walked to his table. But before he could, Henry shoved the lunch tray out of the kid's hands, laughing as the food flew to the ground. Richie didn't even look back as he continued to walk, Patrick close next to him. 

Eddie frowned and got up, walking over to the kid who was already on the ground, picking up whatever he could. Eddie bent down next to him, silently picking up the things with him and putting it back onto the metal tray. 

The boy looked at him in surprise. "Uh, thanks."

Eddie glanced at him. "You okay?"

The boy nodded quickly. "Oh, I'm fine. I'm just glad it wasn't Richie who did it."

Eddie paused. "Why?"

The boy turned to look at him too. "Are you kidding? Any time Richie messes with someone, it's not just a one-time thing."

Eddie frowned, getting up with the boy. "One-time thing?" he echoed, confused. 

"Henry and Patrick are just schoolboy bullies--they pick on anyone for no reason, and it's usually just stuff like this. But Richie--he's dangerous. If he's got a problem with you, it's not going to go away. You know what happened last year, right? This guy--"

"Yeah," Eddie interrupted, all too familiar with the story. "I know about Axel."

The boy nodded, walking with him to the trashcan. "I mean, it's sad and all, but. If you ask me, that kid was asking for it."

Eddie stopped walking. "What? How? Because he stood up to Richie?"

The boy had a puzzled look on his face. "You know about the pictures, right?"

Eddie stared at him. _What?_ "Wha--"

"Eddie."

Bill stood behind him, making Eddie turn around in surprise. Ben was next to him, earphones in his ears as he waited for the two of them. 

"Bill," said Eddie. "I'll meet with you guys later, I--"

"You're going to be late to class," Bill said, interrupting him again. He glanced at the boy that Eddie was talking to. He didn't smile or say anything to him, but rather just grabbed Eddie's arm and pulled him away gently. The three of them started walking to the classrooms.

"What'd you do that for?" Eddie huffed, pulling his arm away in annoyance. Bill chuckled.

"Do you even know his name?"

"Well, no--but he was telling me something."

Bill looked down at him. "What was it?"

"He was talking about Axel, and he basically said that Axel was the one that started everything. Isn't that weird?"

Bill stayed silent, so Eddie continued. 

"So I asked him why he thought that, and he mentioned something about pictures--"

"Hey," Bill cut him off. "You know a lot of people in this school have stupid 'conspiracy theories' on why Richie picked on Axel, but that's just because they have a hard time accepting the truth--Richie's a sociopathic asshole. That's it. There's no 'drama' or 'scandal', okay? So stop talking about this with other people. They've got it completely wrong."

Eddie paused for a moment, slightly taken aback by Bill's sudden change in tone. When he didn't say anything, Bill sighed and put his arm around his shoulder. 

"Sorry," he said. "I just--I'm sorry. I didn't mean to like, order you around or whatever. You can do what you want. It's not my business. I'm just...trying to look out for you."

Eddie looked up at him. _Look out for me?_

"No, no...it's fine. I, I was just surprised that people actually have their own theories." Eddie looked at his shoes, feeling warm despite being inside the air conditioned building now.

"Yeah," Bill said. "It's so stupid."

They were both silent for a few minutes, until Bill spoke again.

"Hey, so uh. What were you and Richie talking about? Back at the dining hall?"

Eddie explained everything that happened, and Bill listened silently. He left out the part about the weird, hair ruffling thing Richie did, though. It wasn't important anyway. Once he was finished talking, Bill thought to himself for a moment.

"This is good," he finally said. "He wants to spend more time with you, which means our plan might actually work."

Eddie nodded. "Yeah, but--are you not worried about him asking about you?"

Bill shook his head. "Nah. He doesn't really care about me. I'm pretty sure that was just his way of starting the conversation."

"But he knew your last name!"

Bill chuckled. "The staff calls us by our last names, remember? He probably just heard it one time."

"Oh. Right."

When the two boys reached Eddie's History class, Bill said one last thing to him.

"I'll meet you after school then, since Richie will see you between classes."

Eddie made a face, and Bill laughed. "I know it sucks, but the plan is already coming together! Just go with the flow, do whatever he wants, okay?"

Eddie took a deep breath, and then nodded. "Okay."

\--

Sure enough, once the bell rang, Richie stood by the doorway, making some of the kids gasp as they left the room. Some girls looked back at him while whispering to their friends. Eddie heard the whispering and looked to where Richie stood, and sighed. He packed up his things, and got up.

"How was it?" 

Richie grinned at him as he took a step back, allowing Eddie to leave the room. Eddie started walking to his next class, not bothering to wait for Richie. But Richie had no problem with that--he was right by his side in the next second. 

"Boring. As usual," Eddie replied after a while, but he answered honestly. He hated history.

"Let me guess," Richie said, looking at him for a moment. "Your favorite class is French."

Eddie glared at him for a while. "How do you even know I'm taking it?"

Richie shrugged. "I have my ways. But I'm right, though. Aren't I?"

"No."

"Tu mens très mal, ma chèrie."

Eddie froze a little, not expecting the French language to roll so elegantly through Richie's tongue. He actually sounded like a fluent speaker. He looked up at him, watching the corner of Richie's mouth curl up. 

"Really?" Richie looked down at him, and Eddie blinked at the sudden eye contact, looking away. "You're not going to deny it? Or did you just not understand?"

Eddie rolled his eyes. "Bien sûr que oui, tête de noeud. Besides--that was just a lucky guess."

"Was it?" Richie teased. "Maybe...I know you better than you think."

Eddie looked up at him, wanting to prove him wrong. "Okay then--what's my favorite color?"

Richie was quiet for a beat. Then, "Blue."

Eddie pursed his lips, annoyed. "Okay, that was a bad question--blue is like, everyone's favorite color."

"Oh is it?" Richie smirked. 

Eddie ignored him. "What's my favorite food?

Richie looked down at the floor for a moment, and Eddie smiled to himself. _There's no way he's going to know--_

"Muffins. Any kind."

Eddie's jaw dropped, and he stared at Richie, speechless. 

Richie wasn't smirking anymore, and just looked at him, with an expression that Eddie couldn't read. Eddie thought Richie would have gloated, or said something, but he was just silent. 

"Okay," Eddie said, breaking the awkward pause. "That's just freaky."

Richie shrugged. "You mentioned it."

Eddie frowned, trying to remember. "I did? When?"

Richie didn't answer, but instead pointed at the room behind him. "The bell's going to ring."

With that, Richie turned around, and walked away, leaving Eddie standing there, staring at the empty space where Richie stood with a dumbfounded expression. _Did I really mention it? I don't remember even talking about food though?_

"Mr. Kaspbrak."

The stern voice made Eddie jump, and he turned around. Professor Larkam was standing at the doorway. "Are you going to stand out here for the entire lesson?"

Eddie shook his head. "No--sorry, Professor." He rushed inside the class, ignoring the stares from some of the students.

\--

Richie didn't come once English was over, even though Eddie had waited. He really wanted to ask Richie when he told him about the muffins, because he honestly didn't remember. How else would Richie have known, unless he was a complete stalker. 

When Eddie didn't see Richie coming after five minutes, he began walking to his last class. It's not like he was sad Richie wasn't there--just the opposite, really. He was grateful that he didn't have to deal with him. But he was still curious. 

Once his last class finished, and the bell rang, Eddie walked out of the class, starting to head to the Statistics classroom, where Bill was. He began walking outside, and then through the corridor to the next building. The corridor was empty, since it was the back of the main campus. Eddie felt the light breeze on his face as his footsteps echoed in his ears.

He got closer to the end of the corridor, but before could actually go through it, someone came out from the other end. Eddie flinched at the sudden movement, and he lifted his head. 

Richie looked down at him with a blank expression.

"Fuck," Eddie shut his eyes, his heart still pounding from the slight scare.

"Sorry," Richie said, watching him. "I didn't mean to scare you."

Eddie looked at him, annoyed. "What _did_ you mean to do?"

Richie took a step closer to him. "I wanted to show you something."

Eddie took a small step backwards, the wind becoming colder as he frowned. "What is it?"

Richie chuckled, his eyes dark. "I don't have it with me, it's actually in my dorm. Do you mind?"

Eddie's eyebrows furrowed, and he hugged his books closer to his chest. "I have to go in your room to see it?"

"Don't worry--Patrick's not going to be there, he's out for the night. So it'll just be me and you," Richie said. He smiled at Eddie, but the way he was doing it made Eddie feel a little...scared. It honestly looked _evil_. 

_Stop it, Eddie. You're just being scared for no reason. Just do what Bill said. Go with the flow, do what he wants. This way, I can get closer to his confession and be done with him._

"Um," Eddie started, looking around. "Okay. Fine."

Richie smiled brighter, but it was still unsettling. "Great! Let's go."

Richie didn't give Eddie a chance to reconsider, and put a hand behind Eddie's back, pushing him slightly to get him start walking. Eddie did as he wanted, trying to just stick to the plan. He knew that this was good, and that Richie already was trusting him enough to invite him to his room. 

But even after knowing that, Eddie couldn't help but feel like something was just...off. With Richie, with the whole situation. Like something had shifted from their last conversation after History class. 

This situation seemed so absurd, and Richie seemed. He seemed angry.


End file.
